Thursday, June 30, 2016

I suppose I couldn't help but like the band Wye Oak, with a name chosen back in 2006 to honor the Maryland State tree that was felled in a storm a few years earlier. I spent 25 years in that state as my parents made it their home, so this duo from Baltimore had an introduction that only a sense of place could offer. Jenn Wasner (lead vocals, guitar, bass) and Andy Stack (backup vocals, drums, keyboards) also provide some of indie's most original music, with lush arrangements that could fool a listener to thinking there are many more musicians involved.

The duo's latest album, Tween, was actually created utilizing remnants of its past two albums, 2011's Civilian and 2014's Shreik. (With an expanded sound to include electronics and bass, Shreik landed on my Top Ten Releases of 2014 list and the song "Tower" was selected as for my Spring 2014 New Music Playlist, as well as my Top 20 Songs of 2014.) My favorite track off the new album is "If You Should See," a glorious tune with interlocking, percussive melodies and vocals that soar above it all. Take a listen via the YouTube upload by Merge Records below and be sure to make time for the entire album.

Thursday, June 23, 2016

New band onDeadWaves is the result of combining the talents of British singer-songwriter Polly Scattergood and compatriot musician James Chapman, a.k.a. Maps. Their debut self-titled album is filled with a sun-soaked gauzy indie pop, as revealed on the song "California" with gleaming guitars and hushed vocals.

A new video for the tune is a long-shot of a magical 70s Californian party paradise where people actually swim in pools, as directed by Mexico's Groovy Chaos (who also provided a creative vision for Moby). The track has already been added to my favorite online radio new music sources KEXP and KCRW, and this album seems ready made for summer listening sessions. onDeadWaves is also sharing mixes and other compilations on their SoundCloud page to keep the vibe going.

Thursday, June 16, 2016

This spring brought a new baby into my tiny family tree as well as another wedding for the next generation - a much happier occasion for us to gather together, rather than the recent memorial services for my father and my mother. The baby's arrival got me thinking about all the songs that we've enjoyed singing as a family - sing alongs and lullabies that resonated with both parents as well as the kids. There are also ones that arrived on the music scene and were quickly incorporated into our daily life (even with an expletive like in the Gorillaz tune!)

So in honor of the Father's Day weekend, here is my playlist of favorite family songs that were sung in the car and around our house, forever claimed as family memories in musical form.

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

What is it about music in a car – the instant escape of listening to an awesome song with the combination of being on wheels and gliding down a road, definitely one of life's greatest gifts. Gold Panda's new dreamy tune "In My Car" captures the notion perfectly. It caught my ear the other morning on KEXP, spun by the station's DJ Morgan (who said this came to mind for the playlist while stuck in traffic on the way to the studio that morning!) As the stand out track on Gold Panda's fourth studio album since 2010, Good Luck and Do Your Best, the music floats along in a wavy pattern of electronics to provide a sonic journey.

The U.K. producer/composer, now based in Berlin, is currently on a world tour through the fall in support of the new album. Listen to "In My Car" in the official video as directed Rob Brandon, where Gold Panda spends a sweet day with his dear Granny.

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

My latest new favorite song comes curtesy of San Francisco's psych rock band Sonny and the Sunsets. The quirky tune "Moods" is off the group's new album, Moods Baby Moods, that serves as the fourth album for Polyvinyl since 2012. There are also seven others since 2000, four self-released, plus musical side projects galore by frontman Sonny Smith. For "100 Records" in 2010, he invited 100 artists to create cover art for albums by 100 fictional bands, then Smith wrote two tunes (A side and B side natch) for each. The artwork was exhibited in San Francisco and Williamsburg, NYC, with a jukebox playing the tunes which were featured in a box set.

Smith is a singer/songwriter, author and former troubadour who weaves a storytelling vibe in laid back vocals. As Polyvinyl puts it, "he's in a funk but he's turned it into funk." "Moods" flaunts this retro-tinged sound for a song about synthetic feelings afforded by the modern drug culture. As produced by Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs, the percussive thread is thrust front and center. Take a listen to "Moods" on Soundcloud and give a listen to the entire album out now.